**Biden and Harris Unite for Veterans Day Ceremony Amid Reflection on Election Outcome**

For the first time since Election Day, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared together at a Veterans Day event. They participated in a Presidential Armed Forces Full Honor Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, joined by First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. This solemn event took place at around 11 a.m. ET, according to the president's public schedule.

Following the ceremony, President Biden delivered remarks at the National Veterans Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater. As the nation honored its veterans, Democrats grappled with their recent defeat in the presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump. Some supporters of Vice President Harris voiced frustration over Biden's decision to continue his re-election campaign until the summer, despite ongoing concerns about his age, inflation, and border security, which they believe contributed to the Democratic Party's loss.

Andrew Yang, a former Democratic presidential candidate who endorsed Harris' campaign, placed significant blame on President Biden. "The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden," Yang stated, according to The Associated Press. "If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place." Thom Reilly, co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University, expressed similar sentiments, noting, "In the shorter term, I don't know he escapes the legacy of being the president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in another Donald Trump administration four years later."

In a brief address from the White House Rose Garden, President Biden acknowledged the difficult post-election period. "I know it's a difficult time. You're hurting. I hear you and I see you. But don't forget all that we accomplished," the president said, emphasizing the historic nature of his administration's achievements. Notably absent from the address attended by Cabinet members and top aides was Vice President Harris.

President Biden also said that he had called to congratulate Trump and announced that they would meet on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming presidential transition. The president later praised Harris for her "historic campaign" conducted under "extraordinary circumstances" in a statement released after her concession speech.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented on the broader context of the election, attributing Democratic losses to a global wave of anti-incumbency following the COVID-19 pandemic. She declined to directly address criticism regarding the timing of Biden's decision to exit the race.